Regain the passion long lost
by Shardwing52
Summary: The group is left in a pickle after Masaya takes their teasing to heart, and quits his job as an FC coach. Can they bring him back, and can he finally move on from his past?
A/N: This takes place after Asuka beat Saki, but before the end credits where you see Masaya playing FC entirely again in his FC gear. This doesn't have any connection to the other Ao no Kanata story of mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ao no Kanata.

The girls were currently training. Masaya had yet to return entirely to FC so he was still just coaching. Once they were done, Masaya praised them and they went in the trailer.

"Haaa, talk about exhausting," Misaki lazily said, drinking some water.

"It's because you overexert yourself," Masaya said. "You need to learn when to take a break."

"Yeah yeah," Misaki said in a lazy voice. "It's not like any coach could have said that."

She said that with sarcasm.

"You!" Masaya said, getting annoyed.

"Tehee, Masaya-senpai isn't even needed around here at this rate," Mashiro said.

As they laughed, Masaya was stung with pain, having taken it literally. But he tried to shrug this off at the moment.

"If you're done messing around, then get back out and train!" Masaya said, with enough annoyance it took them by surprise.

After more training, Masaya left on his own, not in a good mood.

"Hmm, what do you think is eating him up?" Mashiro asked, noting his angry mood.

"Dunno," Misaki said.

"Coach," Asuka said, worried.

As he flew alone, their words repeated in his mind. Were they right? Was he really not that needed? When he thought about it, most of his coaching was standered things that any okay coach would say. Thinking this, this made him feel all the more there was truth to their words. When he thought about it, even Aoi had things to offer them. Masaya had plenty of skill he did not show off to Asuka, but he wasn't entirely back into FC yet, so he just showed some of what he learned from Aoi. The more he went over things, the more it started to seem like it was truth to him, that he's just not needed.

As the sun set and started growing dark, Masaya rose up from his chair in his room, snuck back to the trailer, and ex'd out his name on the coach section of the paper.

The next day, Masaya stayed late at his home so he wouldn't run into them on the way to school.

Meanwhile with the girls.

"Where is coach?" Asuka asked.

"Now that you mention it, isn't he always with Misaki-Senpai to school like usual?" Mashiro asked.

Although Mashiro took care of Misaki in the mornings, Masaya was usually the one flying or walking to school with her even if Mashiro wasn't there.

"Dunno," Misaki said, only part awake.

After getting to school, they noticed Aoi standing there like she has at other times.

"You guys," Aoi said with seriousness.

"Huh? Why are you so worked up?" Mashiro asked.

Aoi said nothing but held up a form for them to see. The three girls became very shocked.

"Eh!? He quit!" Misaki said, even more awake now from this.

"What's he thinking!?" Mashiro asked in surprise.

"That's something you should be asking him," Aoi said.

"Coach, why?" Asuka asked herself.

Meanwhile with Masaya.

He headed to school, timing this so that he would show up just as class started. He didn't want to deal with them trying to hound him to return. Showing up just on time, he sat in his chair.

Although he got looks from his friends, including Madoka who now knew about it, he ignored them and made no eye contact. Aoi noticed this but made no comment, as it was obvious he didn't want to deal with being pressed.

As lunch started, Masaya wasted no time and got up.

"Wait a minute!" Madoka near yelled, stopping him.

"What is it?" Masaya asked, not wanting to deal with this.

"Don't 'what is it' us!" Mashiro said in anger as she walked in the class. "Why did you quit!?"

"What business is it of yours?" Masaya challenged, his irritation rising that Mashiro had the nerve to ask. "My reasons are my own, they have nothing to do with you."

"Like heck it doesn't!" Mashiro started in annoyance at his seemingly uncaring attitude towards them on this.

"Yeah!" Madoka agreed in anger.

"Stop it!" Masaya snapped in a loud voice as his irritation started boiling. "I don't have to state my reasons, so quit bothering me about this!"

Everyone grew silent, having not expected that reaction from him, or the angry expression on his face for that matter.

"But-" Madoka started carefully in a more friendly tone as he walked away.

"That's enough," Aoi said with a serious voice, which let Masaya walk out of the class.

"Sensei," Mashiro said as she walked over to them.

"Stop pressuring him," Aoi started. "You won't get anywhere by just trying to press him for his reasons. He's right, he doesn't have to explain himself if he doesn't want to."

They could say nothing back.

"First off, you need to think about why he quit," Aoi continued. "What caused this to happen? Did he have problems with one of you?"

"One of us?" Misaki asked.

"You didn't notice?" Aoi asked. "When he talked to Mashiro, I could see he was pretty angry at her, even before he snapped. Did you or some of the others say anything to him that I should know about?"

Just then, it hit both Misaki and Mashiro.

"Well..." Mashiro started with guilt.

Misaki then explained what they said yesterday.

"I see, so that's what happened," Aoi said. "But while you may have only been teasing, perhaps you should have thought more carefully about what you say."

Misaki and Mashiro looked guilty about it.

"Then all we have to do is clear this up to coach and-" Asuka started positive, but Aoi cut her off.

"No, that won't work," Aoi said.

"Why not?" Misaki asked with folded arms.

"Because he specifically said 'reasons'," Aoi clarified. "That means there's more than one reason why he quit. What those reasons are, we don't know, and it's up to him whether or not he wants to say anything."

Meanwhile, Masaya went and ate alone. This was just like old times. Before he became Asuka's coach, he tended to be by himself while still hanging with Misaki and Mashiro often enough. He found himself relaxed. There was no stress, or anyone to hound him for answers. It was a sense of peace and quiet. But now, it felt lonely. Still, he felt he made the right choice to quit.

After school, Masaya prepared to leave, but Misaki and Mashiro called out to him as he went outside.

"What?" Masaya asked, thinking they just wanted to ask him to come back.

"We're sorry!" Mashiro apologized. "We didn't mean those things, really."

"Yeah, we were just teasing," Misaki said, hoping for him to return and forgive them.

"Thank you," Masaya started in a more friendly voice, accepting their apology.

"Then-" Asuka started with a smile.

"But I'm still not coming back," Masaya said, to the shock of the others. "What you said to me yesterday made me come to a realization. The majority of the things I say is what any decent coach could do. As such I'm really not needed. I could be replaced with a fairly good coach and you guys would be fine without me."

"That's not true!" Asuka tried to argue.

"It is," Masaya fired back. "Anyway, FC is something I buried long ago, and I think it should stay buried from me."

With those words he flew off. The others were worried, but did nothing since he made it clear he was done. Misaki's eyes glazed, for she understood the full meaning of him having quit FC.

Later, Masaya was at home looking at a photo of the team. A smile crossed his face, remembering some of the fun times they had, but then folded the picture upside down. Just then a knock to his door got his attention. Opening the door, he was surprised.

"Misaki," Masaya said. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" she asked in a gentle tone of voice.

So he let her in and closed the door. Misaki hadn't yet took off her school clothes, so she was still in them. After they both sat down on a couch in the living room, Misaki started.

"I know how you feel," she started. "I quit because I wasn't enjoying FC anymore. I felt inferior to Asuka and to Shindou-san, that I just wasn't good enough to face them. I didn't understand why they had so much fun despite certain obstacles. It made me even scared."

"Misaki," Masaya muttered.

"You said it before, that you quit long ago because you were afraid and then lost to someone who beat you so easily," Misaki said. "We're pretty similar wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah," Masaya said with a smile.

"Why don't you come back to us?" Misaki asked, scooting close to him and putting a hand to his.

"Why?" Masaya asked, looking down. "I-"

"Because it's you," Misaki said gently, earning a surprise look from him. "We would never have got as far as we did without you. It was because you were there training us, helping us, that we were able to learn and progress as we did. You did more for us than you think."

Masaya said nothing as her words stayed on his mind.

"And, I liked it when you were with us," Misaki said gently with a smile. "For the first time, you were so passionate, full of life, and above all, you had fun. It was the first time I ever saw you smile so brightly, have so much emotion and try so hard."

Masaya's eyes glazed, touched by what she said. "But even if I come back," Masaya started. "I still haven't entirely came back to FC."

"Then let's start here," Misaki suggested. "The Masaya who gave up FC vanishes here, and the Masaya who tries to fly again for real is born now."

"Fly...again," Masaya said slowly. "Can I really do something like that?"

"You can, because you're not alone," Misaki encouraged. "And I'll help out anytime you need it. Just as I regained the wings to fly again in the air, you can too."

"...You're right," Masaya said, embracing her words. "It's just as you said."

Misaki smiled greatly at that. Masaya then moved a hand around her waist and kept her close.

"Could we...stay like this for a bit?" Masaya asked, his cheeks going red.

"Heh, are you starting to like me?" Misaki asked with a grin.

"W-what are you talking about!?" Masaya asked flusteredly, looking away from her.

Misaki rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Well, I don't mind that," Misaki said in a gentle voice while smiling.

Masaya's cheeks went redder at her statement.

The next morning, Masaya woke up, and he realized they fell asleep together. Waking Misaki up, she yawned and started to stretch. After their breakfast, they went to school. The others joined and noticed Masaya looked better. In fact Mashiro noted how Misaki seemed closer to him than usual, but because it was Misaki, Mashiro couldn't actually retort at Masaya.

After school, Masaya went to Aoi, rejoined the club to everyone's delight, and then put on his grav shoes.

"Can you guys wait outside?" Masaya asked. "I need to put something on."

They complied and he got dressed. Coming out, he surprised them all and made Misaki happy.

"C-coach, this is!" Asuka started.

"FC clothes!" Mashiro exclaimed.

"Yeah," Masaya said before thinking. 'Once more, I want to try flying again.'

"Are you sure about this?" Aoi asked. "You've quit FC long ago, and you only put on the Grav-shoes for a little training before."

"Even so, I want to try again," Masaya said. "I want to put the past behind and move forward as a real FC player."

"Masaya," Misaki said, eyes glazing.

"If you're certain, then show us, your resolve," Aoi said.

"Got it!" Masaya said, his voice turning serious. "Misaki, hit me with everything you've got!"

"Of course!" Misaki said, flying up.

Masaya turned on his Grav-Shoes and then flew up, joining Misaki.

As the two flew around in the air, Aoi smiled. 'You've finally returned, Masaya,' she thought.

"He's, great!" Mashiro admitted.

"Awesome!" Asuka said, realizing he was much stronger than when he fought her.

"But why did he rejoin and even decide to play FC entirely now?" Madoka asked.

Aoi chuckled. "It's probably because of Tobisawa," Aoi said, taking note of a few looks they exchanged in the last few minutes before he flew up there.

Madoka grinned, while Mashiro groaned at being unable to chew them out due to Misaki seeming more fond of him.

After they were done, they landed.

"How was it?" Aoi asked with a smile.

"Fun," Masaya said, looking at Misaki. 'Because someone inspired me to fly again.'

Misaki smiled at him.

With Masaya back in FC fully, he also resumed his role as a coach as well. Furthermore, he and Misaki started going out. Mashiro felt the need to supervise them, but this was put a stop to by Misaki. At the moment, they were walking around in the town, holding hands while staring at the sun in daylight.

THE END.

A/N: I found it really annoying how they wouldn't stop bothering Misaki for the first eight or so minutes of episode eight until Masaya finally put a stop to them. I mean what does it take to get the message across that she didn't want to talk about why she quit at the time? No doubt Masaya would have actually snapped, unlike Misaki.


End file.
